Montco Daycare Owner, Twp. Supervisor Rejects Plea Deal In Child Sex Assault Case: Officials

NORRISTOWN, PA — A former Skippack Township supervisor, state legislative candidate, and local daycare owner charged with child sex abuse has rejected a proposed plea deal, meaning his case will now head to a full jury trial in Montgomery County.

Nicholas Fountain, 39, of Collegeville, has been charged with multiple counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, indecent assault with a person less than 13 years old, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of minors.

A start date for the trial has not yet been listed by the court.

Court documents indicate that the scheduling of a guilty plea had been ordered on Sept. 2. However, in time since, Fountain has determined to avoid the deal and head to trial.

NBC Philadelphia reports that the deal involved a 20 year sentence before Fountain hit parole. He could face a significantly longer sentence than that if convicted.

Fountain has been in Montgomery County Correctional Facility since he was arrested nearly a year ago.

The investigation began on Sept. 24 when the victim arrived at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Skippack and reported the assaults, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said.

Fountain "had access" to the victim in a caregiving role, according to the criminal complaint. Fountain has owned two daycares in Montgomery County since 2020, though it's not clear if that is how he met the victim.

The assaults began when the victim was 9 years old and continued until he was 16 years old, the DA said.

It sometimes began with Fountain having them wrestle with their shirts off, police said. It then led to Fountain "sexually touching" the victim and then progressed to oral assaults and attempted anal sex, according to police.

During an interview with state police on Oct. 4, Fountain admitted to touching and sexually assaulting the victim on numerous occasions, a criminal complaint states.

Fountain has been the vice chair of the Skippack Township Board of Supervisors for the past 12 years. He also unsuccessfully ran for state senate as a Republican in the 24th district in 2022. The 24th, now represented by Tracy Pennycuick, covers a large swath of Montgomery County and parts of Berks County.

Fountain was the owner both the Magnolia Enrichment Center in Skippack and the Magnolia Children's Academy in Gilbertsville. The daycares serve children between the ages of six weeks and six years old.

The assault charges are separate from the charges filed in Harford County, Maryland, which involved child pornography and soliciting sex from a minor.